Siddaramaiah’s camp blasts HD Kumaraswamy, says development work at standstill

BENGALURU: At a time when allegations are flying thick that Siddaramaiah had instigated the recent trouble within the Congress, an issue that shook its ruling alliance with JD(S), members of the former chief minister’s camp came out into the open on Sunday to criticize the HD Kumaraswamy-led government.

ST Somashekhar, Congress legislator from Yeshwantpur, who took over as chairman of BDA recently, launched a scathing attack on the government, while housing minister MTB Nagaraj declared his allegiance to the former CM.

"It is seven months since the coalition government came to power, but development work has not yet taken off," Somashekhar said. "Had Siddaramaiah got another five-year term, we would have seen real development."

Somashekhar was speaking at an event organised by the Karnataka Pradesh Kuruba Sangha, which was marked by efforts by known Siddaramaiah’a acolytes to reaffirm their loyalties.

Siddaramaiah, who was also present, said he would have completed the development work his government had launched if he had got another term as chief minister. He said his political rivals conspired to defeat him. "They indulged in a smear campaign and engineered my defeat as they were jealous of me," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking at the event, Eswarananda Swami, pontiff of Kanaka Peetha, said Siddaramaiah should be made chief minister again. "This government has not released funds for schemes launched by Siddaramaiah," the seer said. "Efforts should be made to mount pressure on the present CM and make him release funds."

Social welfare minister C Puttaranga Shetty, whose name has come under scrutiny in a bribery case, said he still considers Siddaramaiah as the chief minister. "Whatever you say, only Siddaramaiah is my chief minster," Shetty said. "I cannot think of anybody else in that position."

Housing minister MTB Nagaraj went to the extent of describing Siddaramaiah as Rama and he himself his ardent devotee Hanuman.

"If you split open my heart, you will find Siddaramaiah there. I chant his name as mantra," said the minister.